Half of the world’s population is still of the belief that tattoos can only be associated with those who prefer to have an “alternative” lifestyle, is spoilt, can defy rules and regulations and most certainly is a hipster. But, one must know that tattoos are an integral part of several cultures across the globe, including India.
Tattoos can often be a medium of reflecting one’s own thoughts, a representation of exactly what one is feeling at that particular moment in life and it always becomes special looking back at these even after years because they more than often reflect your personality.
A.G. (Initials used upon request) believes “Tattoos can be a gift to oneself, I have never regretted getting tattoos because even later in life if you feel that you have made a mistake, you will always know that these were your mistakes, so embrace them with all your heart.”
They say that once you get inked you cannot stop getting more tattoos but that is perhaps for the simple reason of how beautiful they look and because they start meaning something to them.
Niloy Das of Lizard’s Skin Tattoos informed, “My Tattoos are a part of men they are something that I can never ignore and no matter what they push me to remain grounded and always keeping in mind of all the times that I have been through, good or bad.”
And while a lot of people might still be very impressed with your aesthetic sense or your courage for getting tattoos done there are many who will not- but the sad part remains that a large number of people will keep believing in taboos that revolve around the art of getting your bodies inked and be averse of them.
There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding tattoos but the one that scares people the most is that of getting cancer- it is sad but it’s true that a lot of people are still of this belief.
Dr. Adrija Rahman Mukherjee says, “It is not true that one can get cancer after they have gotten tattoos done because one must always remember that cancer is not a transmissible disease.”
Having said that, she further added that “People should however be careful of blood-borne infections and get the tattoo needles checked before they start the sessions.”
Therefore, it is highly advisable to get tattoos done from a reputed place and make sure that the tattoo artists use a new needle for every new person that they are working one.
Niloy says, “The only myth that is true regarding tattoos is that it can increase your endurance and power, several tribal communities across the world believe in this and it has scientifically been proven that tattoos can act as an immunity booster.”
Another one of the myths that usually stops a person from getting a tattoo is that once someone gets a tattoo they will not be able to donate blood in any way. But that is absolutely not true-
S.G. (Initials used upon request) got her first tattoo almost a decade back and that did not stop her from donating blood every year, she says, “I started donating blood very early in life and before getting a tattoo I was sceptical only because I had heard that people are not allowed to be a part of blood donation once tattooed.”
“But I asked quite a few doctors around whether that is true or not and all of them were of the same opinion that getting a tattoo cannot hinder my yearly practice of donating blood and ever since then, I have donated blood every year and not just that, I also gave my own mother blood after her massive surgery- no surgeon stopped me,” she further added.
However, the process of getting a tattoo requires a lot of confidence and the work that will be done on you will be extremely intricate and one must be cautious about the aftercare regimen.
And if you fear that your tattoo will fade with time, it might actually happen because of the quality of the ink that is being used. Therefore, it is once again recommended that you thoroughly look up the place where you are planning to get your tattoo from.
Always remember, that a tattoo can be removed as well as modified in the longer run- so, in ten years’ time if you regret getting a tattoo done you know you have a way out.
And, know it for a fact that your tattoo artist is hardly ever wrong so trust the process and their instincts, they will more or less make sure that you do not regret your choice of getting tatted.
